Do bigger sails mean that the sailboat goes faster? Middle and high schoolers compare sailboats, and learn that simply calculating sail area is not enough. A slideshow presentation demonstrates how to calculate the Sail...

In this sailing lesson, youngsters read The Wreck of the Zephyr, and attempt to predict the outcome of the story. They draw a picture of a sailboat, identify its characteristics, and write their own fictional sailing story.

Students use simple materials to make model sailboats which must stay upright and sail straight in a testing tank.

Students examine what naval architects and marine engineers do.  In this engineering instructional activity students work in teams and design a boat with a sail structure. 

How can you determine the maximum speed of a sailboat? A sailing presentation included with a straightforward lesson plan prompts learners to calculate the maximum speed of a sailboat with a displacement hull. The...

Students examine the construction and operation of various sailing vessels. In groups, they use the internet to make flash cards of the different types of classes of sailing ships. They participate in a game in which they use the cards...

The left part of the boat is called what? An informative lesson and accompanying slideshow presentation introduce middle schoolers to the terminology and parts associated with a sailboat.

Historians have proven that as early as 1497 skilled navigators were using a kamal to sail across oceans. Scholars learn about navigation tools and astronomy before building their own kamals. They then learn how to use it to determine...

Students discuss how recycled materials can be used to create art and how this will apply to their artwork. They create a sailing vessel using recycled materials that they find.

Students participate in a class discussion about Bernoulli's principle while looking at cross-sections of an airplane wing, and discussing the sail on a sailboat and the spoiler on a race car.

Students explore water, molecules, and surface tension. In this floatation lesson, students discover why some objects are able to float on water as they follow the procedures included in this activity.

Middle or high schoolers transform into oceanographers in a week-long simulation. To begin, each group follows directions to create a model of the ocean floor with specified features. Next, the groups prepare to set sail on a research...

Sailboat design requires more than a half-circle and triangle sketch. After viewing a slideshow presentation that outlines the requirements for sailboat design, learners draw a design, perform the needed...

Students participate in a lab experiment in which they discover the need for so many blocks and tackles on sailing ships. In groups, they make and test their predictions and practice measuring objects in various units. They record and...

Students study mechanical engineering and how it plays a part in the creation of windmills. They design and test their own windmills using various materials and sail designs.

Learners experiment with buoyancy as a force. In this buoyancy instructional activity, students access an assigned website to examine the sailing vessels that came to the New World. They work as teams to build boats out of aluminum foil...

Students explain that some things can float on top of water because of what we call "surface tension." They see that if something happens to disturb these water molecules from tugging on each other, the skin-like surface breaks up.

Learners examine historical methods of navigation. They discuss the techniques of "Dead Reckoning," "Heaving the Log," and "Chip Log," pretend to sail from Europe to North America using vectors and determine the location of their...

High schoolers engage in a historical review, starting with the existence of the horizon at sea, proceeding to various studies of the Earth's size and shape, and leading to the attempt by Columbus to reach India by sailing westward.

Students research flight and to try and put the events of Kitty Hawk into proper perspective. They look at kites, the lateen sail, flight toys (old and new), hot air balloons, propulsion units, hang gliders, and the men who made them.

Students experiment with Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this physics and motion lesson, students complete two experiments to illustrate force and its equal and opposite reaction. Students first work in pairs to exert an equal force on...

Students explain how wind direction affects sail angle. In this physics activity, students measure the speed of the yacht while varying different factors. They summarize and share their finding to class.

Pupils explore the age of sailing in the colonies through role-playing. In groups, they play the role of a business owner, shipbuilder and geographer to complete specific tasks. They participate in an old World trade show to...

Students collect and analyze data about wind speed. They build a Lego wind sail and measure the wind speed with a rotation sensor. They use software to analyze the data.